Sprinkling-car.



No. 655,129. Patented `Iuly 3|, |900.l

` A. THOMAS.

SPRINKLING CAR.

(Application led Aug. 23, 1897. Renewed Dec. 30, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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MTE@ STARS Arana Numon- ALFRED THOMAS, OF VVOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN OAR -SPRINKLER` COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRINKLING-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part f Letters Patent No. 655,129, dated July 3.1, 1900. Application led August 23. '1897. Renewed December 30, 1899. Serial No. 742,162. (No model.)`

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED THOMAS, a citi-V zen of the United States, residing at W'orcester, in the county of YVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sprinkling-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of sidearm sprinkling-cars illustrated inthe United, States patent. to John R. Gathright, No. 378,6723granted February 2S, 1888; andthe objects of my invention are to'prevent mud and Water from being spatie-red on the run-j ning-gear of the car by` pivoting the sprin-i kier-pipe so that the same will swing to the rear of the car when in use, to provide connections for controlling tlie rearwardly-swinging sprinkler-pipe from the front part'ofthe car,

and to provide simple and efficient shut-off, devices which also may be controlled from thefront part of the car. Y To these ends my invention'consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of la car provided with sprinkling attachments constructed according to Ymy invention. Fig. 2 is a detailview of one of the sprinkler-pipes; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the shut-offl connections which I preferably employ; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan View of a car provided With sprinkling attachments constructed according tomy invention. A

Side-arm sprinkling-cars of the class to which my invention relates employ sprinklerpipes which are mounted to extend at an angle from the car-body to sprinkle the road. Way at the side of the track, said side arms or sprinkler-pipes being preferably mounted toswing back out of the Way to pass teams or obstructions which may be encountered. In this class of sprinkling-cars the perforated sprinklerpipe has heretofore been swung back alongside of the car-body when an obstruction is to be passed, and unless the water-supply is promptly shut oft` it frequently happens that considerable quantities of mud and Water will be spattered onto the runninggearof the car. This is'especially objectionable when electric motors for driving the oar are mounted on the trucks.

. Theespecial .object of my. invention is therefore to provide a construction in which the sprinkler-pipe will swing back to the rear of the car when passing obstructions, so that even when water is allowed to continue to fiow through the sprinkler-pipe the car-body will not be unnecessarily spat-tered.

Referring to the drawings andin detail, A designates the car-body, having a Water-tank B mounted therein. Extending down from the Water-tank B at diagonally-opposite corners of the car are outlet-pipes O. These parts are of the ordinary or approved construction and need not be described at length. f Pivotally connected to the lower end of the outlet-pipes O are perforated sprinkler-pipes D. z. The sprinkler pipes D are preferably provided with upturned or bent ends d, as illustrated in Fig. 2, so.that Water can be sprayedto'a considerable distance from the tracks on which the car runs.

i In sprinkling-cars constructed according to my invention thesprinkler-pipes D are preferably free to make a substantially halfturn or to swing through` one hundred and eighty` degrees, so that said pipes may extend to the rear of the car when in use and may be folded alongside the car, so as to be out of the way, when not in use and to take up the least possible space in the barns Where the cars are kept. l

The` operating devices for the sprinklerpipes D are arranged to be' 'controlled from the front part of the car. As illustrated most clearly in Fig.`8, the outlet-pipe O is provided with an end casing or fixture 10 for receiving an elbow 11, carrying the perforated sprinkler-pipe D. Fastened upon the elbow 11 is a gear 17, which meshes with a rack 18, carried by a connecting-rod 19. The rack 1S is supported and held in mesh with the gear 17 by means of a yoke 20. A vertical controllingshaft 22 is mounted near the front part of the car and is provided with an operating- -Wheel 23. Extending from the lower end of the vertical operating-shaft 22 is a crank-arm 2l7 which is pivotally connected to the rod 19.

IOO

the track .and .may swing the same back Yfrom the car-body whena team or obstruction is encountered.

When a sprinkler-pipe is no longer in use, or when the car is to be returned to the barn,

v the sprinkler-pipe D can be turned through substantially one hundred and eighty degrees,

as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, .toextend alongside of theV ,car-body and take upV the least possible room.

The shut-off devices which I preferably employ areA most yclearly illustrated in Fig. `3. Asshownin this figure, theelbow ll'isslotted,

as iat L12, :so .that watenmay be admitted to the interior thereof from 4the outlet-pipe@ -Moun'ted in the elbow 11, in posit-ion 'to .co-

Qperatewth :a valve--seat therein,'is;a spring- I vpressed normally-closed .shut off valve 13.

The stem .of the valve 13 extends `up through the hol-low vertical rock-shaft 14 and 4is icon- Ennected toa collar 16, mounted thereon. gaging with and operating .the kcollar 1:6 isa yoke carried by a vbell-crank lever 24.. Pivotally'mounted .at the front part of the car, in ,position to be conveniently operated `by a foo'tpiece y28, is a bell-crank -lever 27, which is connected Atok the bell-crank lever 24 bya rod 25. By means of this construction it- .will :be seen that I have provided foot-.con-

trolled shut-olf connections whichl `can be conveniently operated in connection with the hand-wheel .'23, which controls the position `of .the sprinkler-.alim D..

Ifam aware thatchanges may be 'made in the construction of sprinkling-cars by those who are skilled-in the art lwithout departing from thescope of Vmy invention Iasexpressed in the claims. I do not Wish, therefore, to be limitedv to theform which I have shown and described; 'buti f What-Ldo claim, .and desire to :secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is- .1.: In :a 4street-sprinkling car, the combination' of a car-body, aWater-tankrand ,a perforated sprinkler-pipe connected to the water# tank, said sprinkler-pipe Vbeing pivota'llyi` mounted at 'the rear v of the running-gear of' thelcar ttoswing behindthe car when passing scribed.

` 3. In a sprinkling-car, the combination of -a-'car-body, a water-tank, and a perforated v.sprlnlclerpipe, .said sprinkler-pipe being pivotally mounted to swing to the rear of the car when invuse, and -to'be folded to the side of the car when not in use, substantiallyas described.

- 4. fIn asprinlrling-car, `the combination of a car-body, ta:sprinkler-pipe pivotal-ly mounted to .swing to the rear o'f'fthe car, a gearconn'ected to 'saidsprinkler-,pipa a yerticaloperating-shaftmounted near the front part of the car, a crank-.arm extending from said operating-shaft, `and La rod connected thereto, and having a rack-engaging,thegeaig substantiallyas described. f

A5. ,Ina street-sprinkling car., ythe combination oif Aa scar-body, -a water-tank, a sprinklerpipe pivotally mounted'atthe rear oftherunning-gear of thefcar to swing Abehind the Ycar when passi-ng obstructions, connections for operating said sprinkler-pipe from ,the lfront part fo'f the car, and shut-od connectionsalso arranged .to be operated from thefront part of the car, substantially as described.`

56. Ina StreetsprinkIingcar, the combination of a car-body, a `wateirftank, la rearwardly-swinging sprinkler-pipe .'D, .a nor- Vmadly-closed spring-pressed valve 13, :an orp- Witnesses; f Y ALERED "THGMA-S.

Witnessesz` .PHILIP W. SoU'rHGA'rE,

JOHN F. CROWELL. 

